Tags
academic achievement, Arizona, bullying, He Was Weird, injustice, race relations, schools, stereotypes, teachers, teasing
Yet again, this is not the post advertised in last week’s post. This time, I have a very good reason for not doing so. It seems that knuckle head behaviour has struck yet again, this time in Arizona when a teacher was fired for sticking up for a pupil who was being bullied. For more details of the story click the link: http://www.kpho.com/story/26683767/racially-bullied-student-talks-about-fired-teacher-sticking-up-for-him
This particular case goes very well with the thread I’m doing at the moment. I have had my own experiences where teachers’ actions have influenced the bullying of a child and have highlighted it in mine and other books about bullying but this case takes the biscuit. The boy in question, like Mark in “He Was Weird,” was bullied from the first day he started his new school. He tried to address it but the school staff didn’t seem that bothered and as a result, the bullying worsened. Then a teacher goes and attempts to help the bullied child and she is the one who is fired for using threatening language. It was never clear the words the teacher used in this instance, so where’s the proof?
What this does is send a clear signal to bullies in that school that they can do whatever they like to make another child’s life a complete misery because if a teacher steps in to help, the teacher will be the one in trouble. Furthermore, it will make a teacher think twice about dealing with bullying incidents out of fear for their career. That school should hang its head in shame and the union should fight the case all the way to the state supreme court.
Another important point I have left until now is the fact that the bullied child was black and the bullies where white. The bullying included many racial slurs aimed at the child. The fact that the bullying was racially motivated makes it even worse. Now before I get swamped with responses from a few ignorant white people citing all sorts of instances where white children have been bullied by black ones; let me say that I condemn all bullying no matter who is the giver or receiver of it. Bullying sucks, period. Since this was a school with predominantly white pupils, the incident makes the school look racist. In fact, this goes straight back to the 1950s.
I surely hope common sense prevails here and the teacher is vindicated and allowed to teach elsewhere. I wouldn’t teach at that school again if it had been me. Best yet, I hope the teacher gets zillions in compensation. I have shown that teachers’ actions can sometimes influence pupil bullying but it is also the teacher’s duty to detect and stop bullying whenever it occurs in any school. This tragic case of a teacher getting fired for doing just that is completely wrong.
Nest post: Endgame
To buy He Was Weird, go to: http://www.amazon.co.uk/He-Was-Weird-Michael-Lefevre/dp/1909740942/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1412619512&sr=1-1&keywords=he+was+weird
Peaceful Rampage 
Reading this makes my blood boil, as the anger seethes inside me with my own sons personal struggles. The fact that the teacher was fired for protecting one of her own students against his tormentors is disgusting. I hope this travesty will be rectified the teacher and the student receiving compensation. And these racist, pathetic, immature, bullies are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. As parents we send our children to school to learn, discover, play, and encourage their identities and personalities to be expressed. We don’t send them to school to be verbally, physically, or mentally abused!!! This makes my heart feel very sad. 💔
It had the same effect on me and I hope it does with everyone who reads this. I experienced this as a child, teacher and a parent so I’ve seen it from all sides and nothing excuses bullying. I don’t want to drive you into an early grave but you might like to read a previous post of mine. This is the reason why this post is called Another Victory. https://peacefulrampage.wordpress.com/2014/04/16/a-victory-for-the-bullies/
Yes it should anger and outrage many it disgusts me that the bullying mentality is favoured over the victims rights as a student. It’s heartbreaking to see our kids struggle when all they want to do is attend school and learn, grow, and be social. This is what helps them establish their identities, gain self worth and emotionally mature. I will read your next post now.
This is all so very true.
I recommend you google Ted talks Shane Koyczan and phenomenal poet and anti bully champion. http://www.shanekoyvzan.com.
Oops sorry http://www.shanekoyczan.com. I’ve heard at a poet slam and he’s incredible.
Thank you for sharing that. I have signed up to his emails.
He’s an amazing man, enjoy his wisdom. An incredible Canadian that I’ve been happy to hear speak his truth live 😊